Assistant
by Zetran
Summary: Recently moved in to Midgar, Cloud is desperate to find a job. He manages to become a personal assistant. At first, his duties seem normal, but then things start to get strange... On hiatus.
1. Chapter 1

Cloud opened the cardboard box, emptying it of its contents. The tiny apartment he moved into that same day was very different from the place he called home in Nibelheim. Used_ to call home_, he reminded himself. Ever since he was sixteen, he had wanted to leave his hometown for Midgar, hoping to find much better life opportunities there than what would normally be available to him if he stayed. He had dedicated himself to saving every single gil, putting the money towards his goal. His mother encouraged him. Well, she did until he was sure he was ready to leave the town.

She had used every excuse in her arsenal as to why she didn't think Cloud should leave, most of the reasons being that she would miss him terribly when he was gone. Cloud had had to remind her that it was his dream, that he had worked hard to earn the gil he would need. She gave in – not before making Cloud promise to write to her at least every once in a while – and wished him the best of luck.

Now, Cloud couldn't be more proud of himself. He was able to afford the cheapest place to live in on the Plate, something he was grateful for. The living conditions in the Slums were beyond terrible, and, though it was much, much cheaper to live down there, Cloud still chose a small one-bedroom apartment over anything else. His choice, however, put him in quite a predicament: he didn't have enough to pay the rent next month.

Cloud sighed, running a hand through his hair as he thought of a quick plan to help him out of his problem. He'd definitely need to go job hunting as soon as possible – maybe even now. He finished unpacking most of the few possessions he had brought and left the rest of the boxes for later.

* * *

Cloud wandered through the noisy streets, trying his best to avoid the other pedestrians going about their way. The city had a grid-like structure to it: every building seemed to be in a certain order. Colorful advertisements flashed their products every which way. Cloud couldn't keep his eyes off of anything. At first, the dull, metallic-colored urban paradise repulsed Cloud; he was so used to seeing the the blue sky, the green grass, the multicolored flowers... Now, however, the city seemed much less ugly to him, despite its lack of nature and monotonous appearance.

Cloud looked back and forth between his map and his surroundings. He had circled the area where his apartment was on the map with a red marker. The map itself was very helpful, listing different places of interest and some major department stores. Keeping his attention on the Sector 8 section of the map, Cloud searched for places that he thought might be willing to hire. He started with a retail store, moving on to the closest building after asking for a job application.

Requesting application after application, Cloud assumed that the pay would be minimum wage. He'd definitely need to work two jobs, maybe even three, to keep up with the rent and other necessities if that was the case. Cloud really wished that he had thought things through better. The floating city of Midgar was louder, more crowded, and more expensive than he had previously thought. He was slowly adapting to the change with difficulty, and the problems piling onto him weren't helping much. About to call it a day, he set off in the general direction of his new home, stopping in his tracks when a flyer caught his attention.

_PERSONAL ASSISTANT NEEDED_

_Hours: 7:30 A.M to 6:30 P.M._

_Payment delivered weekly_

The bottom of the flyer was cut, allowing for anyone to rip off a piece of paper with a phone number and request to call for more information. Cloud, not wanting to miss any chances, ripped off a paper before going home. He climbed up the stairs of the small complex, unlocking the door to his apartment and closing it behind him, locking the door again.

Cloud pulled out his cellphone, which had only basic call and text service, and dialed the number.

"Hello?" he said nervously when the line connected and a woman answered. "I- My name is Cloud Strife, and I'm calling to ask about your flyer. The- the one with the personal assistant?" Cloud wanted to slap himself. He stuttered way too much for his liking and sounded like a huge wimp, in his opinion.

_"Hello, Mr. Strife,"_ the woman greeted formally. _"What would you like for me to inform you about?"_

Cloud's anxiety rose. He wasn't used to formalities. "Um... What exactly would I have to do if I were to- to..." He stumbled over the rest and mentally berated himself for his clumsiness.

The woman didn't acknowledge Cloud's muck ups. Instead, she politely explained, _"Our superior is often away on important business and has requested for an aide to assist him mainly with office work and with a few personal situations. A good, capable assistant is both preferred and required."  
_

"What is required of the assistant besides capability?" Cloud asked, his confidence rising.

_"Punctuality is the most important and a very strong requirement. It is vital that you are present every single day by seven-thirty in the morning and that you do not leave until six-thirty in the afternoon unless instructed to do so differently. There is one question I must ask before we consider scheduling an interview."_

"What is the question?"

_"Are you, in any way, affiliated or involved with the Silver Elite?"_

"No ma'am. I've never heard of them," Cloud answered honestly. What the heck was the Silver Elite?

_"Very well, Mr. Strife. Would you like to schedule an interview?"_

"Yes ma'am."

_"What date and time would be best?"_

"Anytime."

* * *

Notes:

Idea conceived: 2013年3月31日 （日）

Started: 2013年4月2日 （火）

Finished: That same day

Well, a tiny little idea popped into my head and just wouldn't go away. The idea for my other fic, _Doll_, wouldn't leave either, and that one got written, so it wouldn't hurt to write this one down, too. Well, at least I think so. I'm seriously cringing over the phone call part, though. Grr...


	2. Chapter 2

Cloud stood in front of the help desk of the entrance floor in the Shinra building. He felt out of place, especially since the closest thing he had to a suit was an outfit consisting of a very light jacket with no hood and some dark jeans. Seeing all of the people in professional-looking business wear while he had to make do with what he had made him doubt, just for a minute, that he would get the job. His hair wasn't helping in any way to deter the judging and possibly mocking gazes he was receiving.

Even the nice-looking lady behind the desk looked like she was trying not to stare. She didn't say any thing other than, "Is there anything I can do for you?"

"I'm here for a job interview. For the personal assistant," he specified. He had been instructed to be at the Shinra building by three and no later than that. The lady on the phone had been generous enough to give Cloud directions, too. Since being on time was held in high regard, at least to this job, Cloud had gone to bed early and woke up at six in the morning. All the time he waited at home until ten minutes before two in the afternoon (he thought that he'd need at least an hour to get to the building with the large population and his inexperience) was spent stressing over what to wear, what to say, would he be accepted, how was his (hopefully) future boss like... He'd nearly gone crazy before he set off to look for the place. Luckily for him, Midgar had a simple, organized, and maneuverable structure when it came to the streets and transportation; the only minor problems Cloud faced were the crowds and finding which train to take.

He got here at around two-thirty and supposed that his being early would make him look good for the job. No further instructions given to him for him to follow had led him to the help desk.

"Name?"

"Cloud Strife."

The secretary picked up the phone receiver and dialed a number. After a short conversation that was to the point, she beckoned Cloud to sit down.

"We'll have someone with you in just a moment," she said with a smile on her face.

Cloud took a seat near the desk. He looked down at his feet, trying to get rid of the slight claustrophobic and paranoia feeling caused by the many random people going about their business around him. He could feel many pairs of eyes on him, and he was really tempted to tell everyone to fuck off. If he were to do that in Nibelheim, a few fists would fly and that would be the end of it. Here, however, Cloud knew that his whole friggin' life was at stake. He kept silent, not wanting to mess anything up; he'd gone too far and did so much to get where he was now.

A pair of feet stopped in front of Cloud. Cloud looked up and saw the strangest hairstyle he'd ever seen on a person.

"Hiya," the slightly tanned, blue-eyed man said. "You're Cloud, right?"

Cloud eyed the man's red uniform, which also had thick leather here and there. Why would someone with army fatigues greet him out here instead of another person in a fancy suit? Oh well. Cloud assumed that he would get a few answers later and decided to go with it.

"Yes, sir," Cloud answered quietly. Now he knew how everyone else felt after seeing him for the first time. He wondered if this guy had kidnapped a black hedgehog, used a whole bottle of hair gel to slick the spikes down, and glued it on his head. Cloud tried really, really hard to keep his eyes someplace other than this man's hair. He settled his gaze on a large potted plant behind the stranger.

"Aw, don't give me that 'sir' stuff. Just call me Zack." Zack held out his right hand for Cloud to shake. "Ready for your interview?" he asked with an upbeat tone after Cloud shook the hand.

"Yes sir." Cloud inclined his head and stood up, following Zack to an elevator.

"Hey! I just told you: call me Zack!" Zack said mock harshly. Cloud was bewildered at Zack's lack of formality after seeing so much from everybody else. Zack laughed a bit at Cloud's shock and pressed a button. Cloud jumped and leaned backwards, against the wall, as he was overcome by a sinking feeling. It felt like his stomach had been left behind.

"Are you okay?" Zack looked concerned.

"Yeah." Cloud had barely calmed down enough to reply. "I'm fine." He let out a whoosh of air.

"You sure?"

"Yeah," Cloud repeated. "I've never been in anything like this before."

"First time being in a city?"

"Yep," Cloud admitted, feeling embarassed. "Just moved here from Nibelheim a few days ago." He felt stupid now. Man did he have a lot to learn and get used to.

"Really? Cool. Me, I'm from Gongaga." Cloud nearly burst out laughing at how Zack had pronounced Gongaga.

"Gongaga?" Cloud unwillingly let out a small chuckle. "What kind of name is that? It sounds so backwater."

"Ditto Nibelheim," Zack said good-naturedly. He joined in Cloud's laughter. "Well, you seem like a good guy so far." Cloud mentally patted himself on the back. He was just being himself, without the stuttering and nerves, and it was earning him a few points. He and Zack chattered about random things, mostly about their hometowns and why they had left for Midgar (Zack revealed to Cloud that he had run away from home when he was thirteen to join SOLDIER).

The ride dragged on and on, despite the friendly exchanges. Cloud took a quick glance at the red number on the small display above the elevator door. 38... 39... What floor were they stopping at? Cloud didn't know much about companies and how they worked, but he was positive that the higher floors were restricted to non-employees.

Upon noticing Cloud's confusion, Zack explained, "We're gonna do the interview on Floor 49. I'll be asking the questions when we get there." Cloud was comfortable enough with Zack to be able to give him a few answers. He still didn't know why Zack, SOLDIER 2nd Class, was going to be interviewing him instead of someone else. Maybe luck was, in a weird way, on his side.

"Are you the one I'll be assisting if I get the job?"

"Nope!" Zack grinned. "But it does seem that way, don't it? Oh and hey, be more positive." He scratched the back of his head. How he was able to do that was amazing, in Cloud's opinion. Unless the hair was natural, which Cloud had a hard time believing.

"Alright, I can do that. But can't I at least know who it is?" Cloud added a fake whine at the end of his question.

Zack chuckled, then suddenly grew serious. "You aren't part of the Silver Elite, are you?" He looked Cloud over with a scrutinizing gaze.

"What's that?" That was the second time he heard about them already.

"You really don't know 'em?" Zack looked slightly surprised and... relieved?

"No. I'm from Nibelheim, remember?" Was the Silver Elite another thing people in the city generally knew about? "What's the Silver Elite and why is that an important question?"

"Um, about the last part... you'll see why real soon. And hey, don't worry about not knowing about them," Zack reassured.

Was the Silver Elite some kind of well-known and/or popular terrorist group? Cloud looked at the display again, preparing himself for what came next. 47... 48...

* * *

Notes:

Started: 2013年4月6日 （土）

Finished: That same day

Sorry that it's short, but at least it got written fast. I've put my other fic first on my list of priorities, so a little bit of patience will be needed for updates on this one. But I'll try to squeeze out another chapter for this one before going back to work on _Doll_. Glad to know that a few of you like it so far! Thanks for the follows, favorites, and reviews! :D

I'm going by the way the SOLDIER uniforms were colored in the original Final Fantasy VII, so that's why Zack's uniform is red. Also, his hairstyle is the one that you see at the beginning of Crisis Core. I think Cloud's description of Zack's hair is pretty accurate. :P

Fangirls make pretty vicious terrorists sometimes, Cloudy.

Next chapter will be the interview questions, and Cloud's boss may be revealed then, too. I'm pretty sure everybody can guess who it is. :P


	3. Chapter 3

Quick Note: I've changed the interview location to Floor 49. Sorry for the confusion. I went ahead and edited the previous chapters.

* * *

As the elevator doors parted and Cloud stepped out after Zack, Cloud found himself with wandering eyes. He took in the floor pattern and the huge 49 printed on the wall before Zack turned to the left and led him to a door with yellow lettering reading BRIEFING ROOM.

A long table curved into something between a half circle and a triangle took up most of the room. Multiple computer monitors and chairs occupied the table's space. Cloud had little experience with electronics; they never even had a TV at his old home. He hoped he didn't have to know how all of this 'advanced' stuff worked.

Zack sat in the chair at the center and Cloud did the same, sitting at a respectable distance away. Cloud braced himself for the questions he knew were to follow.

"M'kay," Zack said casually still, shuffling papers which were already at the table, "you've already answered some of these, but I'm gonna ask 'em again. First and last name?"

"Cloud Strife."

"You from here?"

"No, sir."

"I told you not to call me sir!" Zack shook his head and sighed in mock exasperation. "Where are you from?"

"Nibelheim, _sir_." Cloud couldn't help but mess around a little. Any tension or nervousness he felt was quickly waning just by interacting with Zack.

Zack jotted the information down and muttered something about being too nice to Cloud. "Age?"

"Twenty-three."

"Ha! I'm older!" Zack exclaimed. _Whatever,_ Cloud thought, mentally rolling his eyes. "Okay, so... what interests you about this job?"

All silliness gone, Cloud thought on how to answer. He considered telling Zack about his financial situation, but quickly discarded that thought. Although he really needed it, he didn't want to get the job because he was desperate – he wanted to show how capable he thought he was and prove it once he started work.

"I've helped out my friends and neighbors a lot of times in Nibelheim before I moved here, and I thought I could be useful with being an assistant. After calling for information, I felt I was capable enough and I know I can be here for all the time required." Cloud felt that he had to brag a bit, but tried not to overdo it and sound full of himself.

"Nice." Zack made a quick note and asked, "What's your greatest weakness?"

Cloud swallowed his pride (he didn't like admitting to things he wasn't able to do well) and took a few seconds to think before coming up with, "I usually can't talk to someone new without getting nervous, and that sometimes results in stuttering. I'm trying to improve that, though." Zack seemed to nod in approval at the last part.

"What's your greatest strength?"

"When I'm dedicated to something, I'm dedicated. I don't back away easily even when things are difficult." Cloud couldn't say that he was completely dedicated to getting this job, but he was close to that stage.

"Awesome. Alrighty, last one: why should you get hired?"

Cloud didn't hesitate to answer that one. "I'm dedicated to being on time and doing what I have to do to get something done. I'm willing to get up at any hour on any day to do what I have to do."

Zack scrawled one last thing before organizing the papers into a single stack. He held out his right hand and Cloud shook it.

"Welp, thanks for coming in." Zack retracted his hand and lazily leaned back in his chair.

"No problem," Cloud said. "Thanks for having me." Now what? Should he wait here? Should he go home?

"This never happens at any other place, but I've got your results already," Zack announced. "Wait here for a minute, 'kay?"

"A-alright." Crap. Was he getting rejected so soon?

Zack seemed to get the gist of what was going through Cloud's mind. "Lighten up and be positive, man!" Zack playfully smacked Cloud's arm. "I just need to introduce ya to your new boss." He literally ran out of the Briefing Room before Cloud could say or do anything.

New boss...? Holy crap. Was Zack being biased towards Cloud? Unless Zack was going by appearances, he couldn't be – they'd only met about an hour ago and Cloud hadn't even dropped a tiny hint of his major predicament. Cloud shifted nervously in his chair. Why, then, had he gotten the verdict so soon, much less hired? Not that he was complaining, but just why, why, _why_?

Moments later, Cloud heard loud, muffled voices through the door.

"Aww, come on...! ...haven't even..."

"...don't _care_... I...take care of things... not needed."

Cloud had really strained his ears just to hear those snippets and decided to stand up to get a little closer before twitching in his seat as the door opened and Zack reentered, looking pissed off. The man in the white dress shirt and leather pants following behind him quickly redirected Cloud's attention from Zack's strange behavior (strange to Cloud, at least).

Never did Cloud think he would ever meet this man in the flesh. He was the man he secretly admired; the man he respected from a distance; the man he sometimes wished he could be.

"For the last time, Zack," Sephiroth said with frustration laced in his authoritative voice with a hint of a command hidden in, "I _don't _need an assistant, I am _fully_ capable of taking care of things on my own, and he is _not_ needed. Send. Him. _Home_."

Sephiroth was, judging from the two seconds Cloud got to know him, a complete prick.

* * *

Notes:

Started: 2013年4月11日（木）

Finished: 2013年4月12日（金）

Sorry for the long wait and the quick change of mind. It took a little bit of time to think of what exactly Cloud would say. As for the editing, I haven't played Crisis Core in about a year, so I forgot about the SOLDIER floor and the briefing room. I'll dig around for my PSP sometime, but I'm not sure if I want to. I'm extremely close to the ending (my second playthrough), and I don't want to see it again...

I don't like how short these chapters are, but those spots feel like good places to end. I'll explain more about why Sephiroth said what he said and why Zack did what he did next chapter.


	4. Chapter 4

"You've barely seen him for less than a minute!"

Cloud agreed with Zack's protest, but what bothered him most was... Why the hell would Sephiroth request an assistant if he didn't need or want one? Why go through the trouble of having flyers put up? Why have someone ready to answer the phone?

Why, why, why – that was the one word Cloud was tired of today.

"I don't care. How many times do I need to repeat myself?" Sephiroth leaned against the wall, crossing his arms. "I don't need anyone to assist me, much less this over-sized poultry trying to pass off as human sitting here."

Cloud clenched his fists. That was uncalled for. It wouldn't have surprised him if Sephiroth was the cold type – he _was_ the top SOLDIER and Cloud supposed that war could make anybody less pleasant to interact with – but being a total asshole was something else. He struggled to hold in the retorts and insults that went something along the lines of _prick_, _fucker_, and _douche_.

"Don't be like that! Just give him a chance, Sephiroth!" Zack pleaded.

"No, it's alright." Cloud stood up, avoiding eye contact with either of the two men. "If he doesn't need an assistant, he doesn't need one." He gave Sephiroth a glare as he walked out the Briefing Room and towards the elevator before having his arm pulled back by Zack.

"Don't go," Zack commanded. "I know how he is, but don't let him get to you."

Cloud sighed. "I can see that he doesn't want me around, and it's fine. I'll just be on my way." He tried to tug his arm back, but Zack didn't let go.

"He _does_ need help, Cloud; he just doesn't want to admit it."

Cloud shook his head. Before he could reply, Zack said, "I'll win him over. You'll see." Zack dragged an unwilling Cloud back into the Briefing Room, where Sephiroth greeted the two with an emotionless expression decorating his countenance. He stood in the exact same spot as before.

"How's your ma, Seph?" Zack asked suddenly. An iota of surprise appeared before Sephiroth quickly reverted to his previous state. Bewilderment filled Cloud again. Sephiroth was actually surprised by something? Well, Cloud knew that he himself definitely would've been surprised by a question like that coming out of nowhere, but just the way Zack was being so informal to his superior (it was freakin' Sephiroth he was talking to!) and the fact that Sephiroth was taken aback enough to actually show some emotion got to Cloud.

Midgar was weird as hell.

"You may not call me that, Zack. As to your completely irrelevant question, she hasn't changed at all."

Zack pushed Cloud towards a chair. "Sit down, this'll be a long explanation." Cloud obediently sat. Finally, an answer to all those _whys_.

"Okay, Sephiroth," Zack said slowly, as if said man was a bomb about to go off at any given moment, "this is Cloud Strife. Cloud, I'm pretty sure you know who Sephiroth is." _I could live in a cave – under water – and _still _know who he is_, Cloud thought to himself. Zack continued, "See, Sephiroth's been going out on the field a lot recently, and all the paperwork has really accumulated onto him–"

"And, as I have said to you many, _many_ times," Sephiroth cut in, "I can have all of it cleared out in a matter of days."

"Not with how um..." Zack appeared to search for the right word "...sick – yeah, sick. Not with how sick your ma is right now. Come on, it's a win-win. Cloud can help you out with work-related stuff, and then you'll be able to have more time to help her out."

Sephiroth couldn't argue with that. Hope returned to Cloud. There was no way Sephiroth could use his asshole-ness now.

"And how do you know he isn't here for the fame?" _Motherfucker!_ He was still talking to Zack like Cloud wasn't even there, and he was _still_ trying to find a way to get him to leave?

"After those other times, I learned my lesson. All that was on the flyer was the phone number, pretty much. I even interviewed him myself, like I said I would. Look – I also wrote down exactly what he said and what I think of it." Zack handed the papers towards Sephiroth before quickly taking them back and using the pen to hastily scratch off something on the margin. That something looked an awful lot like a pair of breasts.

Sephiroth, once having the papers returned to him, began to read everything, occasionally looking up and inspecting Cloud critically as if he was studying every single little thing on him. Cloud boldly stared back at Sephiroth, making sure to meet his gaze every time. After some time, Sephiroth seemed to have finally reached a verdict.

"I will give him a week to prove himself," he said, giving off the air of finality. He handed the papers back to Zack, then turned and left the Briefing Room, probably to go back to do whatever he was doing earlier.

Cloud let out the breath he didn't know he was holding. Zack did a fist pump.

"Told ya I'd win him over!" Zack exclaimed.

"Yeah... But there's still some stuff you haven't answered."

"Ask away." Zack plopped himself onto a chair next to Cloud, leaning back again.

"Okay... First, what's the Silver Elite? Second, what did you mean by 'those times'? Third, why was Sephiroth saying that he didn't need any help if he requested it?" Cloud blurted.

Zack scratched the back of his head. "The Silver Elite... is a fan club. They're real dedicated to getting any information related to Sephiroth. The majority of the members are the _worst_. Good god, there are _mobs_ whenever they catch wind of where Sephiroth's gonna be in Midgar next. It's happened twice, by the way. For question number two... I've got a little something to confess."

Cloud leaned forward to pay close attention to whatever Zack was going to say next.

"Sephiroth never wanted an assistant. Ever. But well, he's been overloaded with work and then his mother got really sick, so I thought he really needed help. I would've done it, but my schedule sucks balls. I was lucky to even get time to set all of this up!" Zack sat up properly in his seat. "It took me forever to convince Sephiroth to let me _try_ to find someone to help him out. It wasn't easy at all, you know. I made all of the flyers and I decided to do the interviews myself and pick whoever it was that I thought was best. The secretaries on the ground floor agreed to help me out with anybody that decided to call. I messed up big time on the flyers the first time around. I made the mistake of putting down the wage and who it was the person looking at the thing would be working for. It wasn't pretty." Zack laughed at the memory. Cloud nodded in understanding. He felt honored that Zack had chosen him out of all people.

"So, Cloud, how do you feel about being Sephiroth's office bitch?"

Cloud snorted at the joke. "It'll be one heck of a ride. If he decides to let me stay, then it'll probably be hell." Cloud was willing to put up with the hardass as long as it helped put food on the table.

"Geez Louise, Cloud!" Zack stood and smacked him on the head. "There you go again with the 'if'. Be more positive," he repeated for the third time. "Sephiroth isn't very easy to work with, but he'll let'cha stick around. I know it."

"If you say so." Cloud shrugged. "So... when do I start?"

* * *

Notes:

Started: 2013年4月14日（日）

Finished: That same day

Two updates in a row! Whoo! Wait a little bit longer for the next one, though.

Alright, I've got a few favors to ask of you guys. Ever heard of an awesome fic here called _Invictus _by Cpl. Hicks? Check it out. It's got kick-ass everything: kick-ass old ladies, kick-ass Cloud, kick-ass rulers of Candy Land – even Cloud's mom kicks ass and she was barely even mentioned! Like I said, check it out and feel free to follow and/or favorite/review it.

Favor number two: Do the same thing to another fic called _A Coming Out Story_ by Yooney. Both of the authors of their respective stories would really appreciate it, and I'm sure it'll inspire them to write more. Make them happy and you'll make me happy. And if you make me happy, there's a high chance of updates coming out sooner.


	5. Chapter 5

That same afternoon, Cloud had gone through the processes of getting an ID and pass that would grant him access to the floor which held the office Sephiroth occupied. He was to wear the ID tag the whole time he was in the Shinra building, since he was technically a Shinra employee now, and he needed to present the pass to anybody that asked him why he was on a restricted floor, just in case that happened.

Today, a Monday morning that started out much like the few days that he had been in Midgar so far, Cloud made sure to wake up a little earlier than he did the day he prepared for the interview. Midgar looked much more impressive at the buttcrack of dawn. The multiple lights decorated the city in a variety of blues, reds, yellows, and too many other colors to count, standing out much more in the early dusk at five in the morning than they normally did during the rest of the day. Cloud would have taken in the sight and appreciated it more if he wasn't still half asleep.

Cloud rubbed at his eyes and stepped into the shower cubicle. He moved the tap to a warm setting, letting the spraying water wake him up. Once finished with his shower, he wrapped a towel around his waist and reached into the closet for something to wear. After asking Zack if there was a certain way he had to present himself and other tidbits of information, Zack had informed Cloud that he could wear whatever he wanted, as long as he didn't show up in pajamas or any other outfit that wasn't normally worn out in public. Cloud seriously considered showing up in a dirty tank top and sleep pants just to piss Sephiroth off for the rude comments he had made before deciding to go for something identical to what he wore on the day of the interview.

Cloud slipped on a pair of dark jeans and a white shirt before draping his light jacket over one shoulder. He had a feeling that he'd be wearing the exact same jacket until he had enough to get something better. Being a pain in the ass to get a little revenge wasn't worth it... Not for now.

Cloud made himself a quick breakfast and slowly shoveled it into his mouth, a bit of sleep still stubbornly clinging to him. He got up and washed his dish, running back into his bedroom to check the time. Six-fourteen. Good. He didn't spend way too much time in the shower like he tended to do.

Deciding that there was still a little bit of time left, Cloud made himself something for lunch before throwing on his jacket and heading out the door to his first day on the job.

* * *

Sephiroth served two steaming cups of tea, handing one to the pale, sickly, brown-haired woman who tiredly sat upright in bed. The dark circles around the woman's eyes and her overall pallid appearance made her various gray hairs stand out against the wan-looking brown like popcorn in a bowl of raisins.

She blew on the tea a couple of times, holding onto the cup with one hand. Sephiroth stood next to her, sipping his own tea.

"I'll be back in a few hours. Do you think you'll be alright?" Sephiroth placed his cup down on the side table, refilling it half way before drinking again.

His mother waved him off, as if being anything other than alright was impossible for her to do. "I'll be fine, I'll be fine." She suddenly erupted into a coughing fit. Sephiroth rushed over to pat and rub her back until the coughing stopped. "I'm sorry," his mother said with a final cough.

Sephiroth shook his head. His mother always apologized for everything, whether it was her fault or not. "Don't be. Call me if you need anything and don't strain yourself." He tentatively turned, not wanting to leave his mother when she was in such a state. Shortly after coming back from the months long missions in Junon and the Corel mines, his mother had caught the flu. A bad case, it looked like. She seemed to be getting weaker and weaker each day. Sephiroth had spent the past few days stressing over work and his mother's health. Every morning and afternoon he was by her side.

"Go, go. I'll be fine," his mother insisted.

"Still, call me if you need anything," Sephiroth said, looking back pointedly. He took his cup to the sink and washed it before heading out the door.

In the earlier hours of the morning, there weren't many people out and about. Sephiroth took the paths less taken anyways as a precaution. Getting mobbed by obsessive women was not on his list of priorities today. Or any day, for that matter.

Pushing his personal problems to the back of his mind, Sephiroth's thoughts drifted to the assistant coming in to his work space today. That man... Cloud, was it? Sephiroth didn't bother to try to memorize his name, but his unique appearance easily burned its image in Sephiroth's mind. The erratic directions the blond spikes stuck out in, the thin figure, the man's eyes...

The eyes. When Cloud Strife had dared to glare at him, when the young man had dared to keep his gaze when he was being stared down, it had infuriated Sephiroth and, dare he say it, _intrigued_ him. Sephiroth's interest had been piqued, and he wanted to see more of the blond newcomer, if only for a little while. Sephiroth was confident that he would become annoyed with the blond and kick him out once the week was over. Interest or no interest, Sephiroth did not need any help and, for all he knew, Cloud could be a complete idiot hiding behind that mask of determination.

Did he just think of him by his first name? Sephiroth shook his head. No, to him he was not Cloud, simply Strife. Either way, Sephiroth cut off all thought for the moment and quickened his pace as the Shinra building entrance came closer.

* * *

Cloud circled one of the displays in the Exhibit Room, taking in every detail. The Hardy Daytona looked sturdy and capable of traveling at breakneck speeds. What Cloud would give for that motorcycle! However, he knew very well how incapable he was of obtaining it. He inwardly sighed. It would take a while for him to be able to have enough for anything other than rent and utilities.

Cloud pulled out his cell phone and checked the time. Seven-ten. Wow. He'd never thought that looking around the ground floor of the building and the Exhibit Room would keep him entertained for nearly an hour.

Taking one last longing look at the motorcycle, Cloud reentered the main floor, stopping in surprise.

Sephiroth was already here. Cloud slowly approached him, standing at a small distance away and meeting his gaze.

Sephiroth narrowed his eyes, as if Cloud's presence was offending him. Cloud inwardly groaned. He was probably going to be subject to even more of Sephiroth's negativity. Cloud would just have to turn the other cheek and bear it.

Without saying a word, Sephiroth walked up the steps and towards the elevator. Cloud trailed behind him, assuming that that was what he was supposed to do at the moment.

The elevator ride passed in silence, dragging on even more slowly than when Cloud had been on there for the first time. Sephiroth made no attempt at conversation. Cloud didn't really care; he had nothing to say anyways. Silently, Cloud remarked to himself about how it was like a small dream come true. Since he was twelve, he'd had small fantasies of how it would have been like to at least catch a glimpse of Sephiroth in person. As he got older, he dismissed them as the fantasies they were – everybody dreamed about meeting Sephiroth; it was nothing new. It did shock him that day when he finally found out that Sephiroth would be his employer, but he didn't think too much on it. Now, though, he was gloating. Despite the way Sephiroth tried to bring him down, intentionally or not (he could be like that to everybody for all Cloud knew), Cloud's admiration still held. He vowed to work harder than he normally would, in the small hope that he could gain at least a little bit of Sephiroth's respect.

The elevator glided past the 49th floor, stopping soon after. Sephiroth strode down a spacious room, turning and unlocking a door. He gestured for Cloud to enter first.

To the right, an atlas covered nearly the entire wall, a few pins and flags sticking out of certain spots. A dark wooden desk took up space in front of that same wall, a computer and monitor sitting on one side. Nothing broke the monotony of the rest of the small space in the relatively small office (when compared to the Briefing Room, this place was tiny!) other than a bookshelf and a file cabinet. Peering closer, Cloud could barely make out what seemed to be large books offering information on geography, types of swords, and other topics.

Sephiroth slammed a tower of papers onto the desk and slipped into the chair. He skimmed through a few of the papers, taking more time to thoroughly read one or two. Cloud stood there awkwardly, awaiting instruction.

Sephiroth hurriedly scrawled his signature and some other writings onto the papers, as if he was trying to get it all over with as quickly as possible, and stacked them into a pile. He spread a few manila folders out onto the meager space remaining on the desk.

"File these in the correct folders," Sephiroth then instructed. "The name it should be filed under is at the top of the page."

Cloud hesitantly took one of the papers, taking care not to crease it. "Reports" was printed on the top left corner.

"Sometime today would be nice," Sephiroth said, annoyed. "Do not place anything in the wrong spot. I _will_ be checking."

Cloud didn't doubt it. He slid the papers into their folders, double checking each one to make sure it was where it was supposed to be.

* * *

Notes:

Started: 2013年4月19日（金）

Finished: 2013年4月22日（月）

So sorry for the long wait! I've been super lazy, and then I got sick on the 18th. Then I got overloaded with stuff to do! Gah! But what's this? A longer chapter?! Yesssssss! If that isn't enough, then go ahead and watch this video of Sephiroth tasting the rainbow: www dot youtube dot com / watch?v=gm46FvPqbxg


	6. Chapter 6

The folders grew in width, getting fatter and fatter as Cloud helped file paper after paper after paper... Good god, did it ever end? No matter how fast Sephiroth went through the papers, no matter how quickly Cloud put them in the right places, it seemed that that darn pile of unfinished work was refusing to go down.

What felt like an eternity later, only a small stack of probably around ten or twenty sheets was left. Cloud nearly sighed in relief...until – _oh god no_ – Sephiroth pulled out _another_ tower of horror to look through. Was this what the man had to go through every day he wasn't out in the field? Cloud felt really bad for Sephiroth. If he were in the same situation _almost every day_, he would have gone insane. Everything would have been set on fire – either that or something else that was destructive would have happened.

"You're not here to gawk," Sephiroth said abruptly.

Cloud snapped out of it, slipping the six papers Sephiroth had already read and signed into their appropriate places. This tower of papers was almost twice as huge as the previous one! The folders were filled to the brim in only an hour.

True to his word, Sephiroth looked through the folders with the intent of finding just _one_ paper out of place, probably so he could have some reason to insult Cloud. Not finding any mistakes on Cloud's part, he pulled out a pad of sticky notes and scribbled some numbers, sticking two of the notes on top of one of the two folders he stacked.

"Take these to the Archive Room on Floor 45. I would hand you everything at once if I was sure that your country brain could handle the responsibility."

Cloud gripped the folders tighter than what was necessary, hoping his face didn't give away his feelings before turning around and making his way to the elevators at a quicker than normal pace.

Delivering papers wasn't anything new to Cloud; in fact, it was a whole lot easier than the times he spent long afternoons helping chop wood before the winter. But what did coming from Nibelheim have to do with being able to do something simple? Cloud wasn't stupid, and he didn't like being treated as such.

Cloud memorized the way back to Sephiroth's office before stepping into the elevator and pressing the button for the 45th floor. He let out a breath to calm down. It wouldn't do for him to express his anger. Besides, he had to learn to shrug it off – there was an extremely high chance of Sephiroth throwing insults regularly at him. Well, not extremely. Sephiroth was _definitely_ going to make things less easy.

The elevator dinged to signal its arrival, and Cloud speedily looked for the room number Sephiroth had written on one of the sticky notes. He looked back and forth between the instructions on the little yellow square and his surroundings, instantly spotting where he was supposed to go.

"From General Sephiroth," he said, sliding his burden through the slot cut into the glass dividing that section of the Archive Room from the rest. The elderly man behind the glass pulled out an outrageously large key ring filled almost to the very last space with keys. In no time at all, the old man rushed off with the folders and returned. Cloud blinked.

"That's all," the old man said. He waved his hand as if shooing Cloud away. "Go."

Still bewildered over how quickly that part of his job was done, Cloud jogged back to the elevators, moving even faster once he was on Sephiroth's floor.

"Take these to the Archive Room, then deliver these reports to the SOLDIER floor," Sephiroth command upon Cloud's return. He sat hunched over yet another paper, and the pile of unfinished paperwork was reduced to three quarters of its original size.

"Sorry, but where's the SOLDIER floor?" Cloud's first sentence of the day, and it wasn't one he would have liked to utter.

Sephiroth sighed as if Cloud had asked something that everybody should have known. "It seems that you have adopted short-term memory to further give you the appearance of having a 'bird brain'." Cloud found himself trying to control his temper again. "The SOLDIER floor is the 49th floor...where _your interview_ took place."

_How the hell was I supposed to know that?!_ Zack hadn't told him that they were on the SOLDIER floor at the time. There weren't any off-duty SOLDIERS that Cloud could see, either, nor did he know enough about Shinra and the SOLDIER program to be able to tell which floor was which.

"Is that enough for you to go on or do you need _more_ help?"

Cloud nearly bit his tongue off to prevent himself from calling Sephiroth a prick. "No, sir, I can handle it." Being polite in the current situation was difficult to pull off.

Without another word, Cloud set off on another delivery. He had a feeling that he was going to do the same two things for the rest of the day.

* * *

Sephiroth rubbed at his forehead, returning to mindlessly trying to finish the unending paperwork. He did not feel one bit sorry for insulting Strife; he actually took a bit of pleasure from it. If he had to suffer, someone else had to suffer, too.

He didn't acknowledge Strife's presence other than to have him file more papers when the blond returned. Sephiroth had to admit the assistant was doing pretty well – for a someone still so new to the "big, bad city", anyways – and, though he was still trying to deny it, his workload was diminishing two, maybe even three times faster than normal.

A few more hours trickled by slowly. Strife had another look of shock on his face once he discovered that there was _another_ pile to work on. Sephiroth almost snorted. Day after day of paperwork desensitized him to any surprise in the office. If there were no more papers, he could definitely count on finding more the next day or, if unlucky, a secretary would come in and bring more. It never ended, and even when Sephiroth was gifted with the vacation-but-not-exactly-vacation of going on a mission, there was always something waiting for him when he came back.

The analog clock ticked, displaying one-oh-six on its face. Sephiroth placed his pen down on the desk and said, "Take a break. The vending machines here can provide lunch if you need it." A very late time to start having lunch, but Sephiroth didn't care.

No protest came from Strife. Good.

Sephiroth stretched a little before standing. "Don't touch anything while I'm gone. I'll be back by the end of the hour." As he left, he took a quick peek at the man behind him. Strife had either lost control over his facial expressions or he didn't bother trying like Sephiroth had noticed him do so before before, since Sephiroth had his back turned. Strife was going to get more than a blow to his pride and capabilities for throwing that glare at Sephiroth.

Putting Strife's behavior to the back of his mind for later, Sephiroth exited the Shinra building and dodged the crowds of people flowing through the streets of Sector 2. It was like walking through a mine field; at any moment, someone from the Silver Elite could spot him and trigger the rest of the horde into a stampede. Every time he was out in public, whether it was to make his way to and from work or to have a night out somewhere, Sephiroth always wondered why he didn't bring some sort of disguise and reminded himself to make one. Then again, he'd thought of that idea so many times he knew he wouldn't go through with it.

"Welcome back," Lucrecia greeted with a wan smile. She stepped to the side to let Sephiroth in, then shut the door and sat on the small couch.

"You shouldn't be out of bed unless you really have to be." Sephiroth sank into the couch next to his mother.

"It'll take more than the flu to get me down." The soap opera playing at a low volume reached a more dramatic moment. "Oh, William is at it again. It's always that character coming in and ruining the peace." She shook her head. "Any-who... Are you staying overtime again? You came later than usual."

"Not today. I've managed to clear out a lot. I should be caught up by the day after tomorrow or the day after that, give or take."

"You've finally taken Zack's advice, haven't you?"

"...Don't tell me you're keeping in touch with him."

Lucrecia giggled. "But have you gotten any help? Zack hasn't filled me in on the details." She quickly pulled out a tissue and coughed twice into it. "Sorry."

Sephiroth didn't address the apology and quietly said, "As much as I didn't want to, I did."

"Having a helping hand isn't something to be ashamed about. I think it's already doing you good. I worry for you sometimes; you tend to overwork a lot. How was it?"

"He hasn't made any mistakes...yet."

Lucrecia gave him a stern look. "There you go with that terrible attitude of yours towards new people," she scolded. "I'm surprised the poor lad hasn't said anything."

_Oh, I'm positive he's wanted to say quite a few things very, very badly._ The small bursts of emotion that had escaped Strife's mask of indifference hadn't escaped Sephiroth's notice.

"Give the young man a chance," Lucrecia continued. "From what Zack told me, he seems like a nice person. I'd like to meet him sometime." Anybody new that Sephiroth started interacting with, Lucrecia wanted to meet. To sum it up, any friend (or as close as anyone could be to Sephiroth) was a friend of hers, too.

"I'm making no promises." Sephiroth crossed his arms. "Speaking of him, I'd better go soon. I'm afraid of coming back and seeing the office in shambles."

"Oh, you!" Lucrecia chided. "Nothing like that is going to happen and you know it. Have something to eat before you leave."

"Don't worry about me."

"There's some leftover stew in the fridge. It won't take long to heat it up..."

* * *

Cloud scooped the last of the now cold instant macaroni into his mouth, placing the plastic spoon into the Tupperware and wiping the cheese off of his lips. Earlier, he thought he was going to fall over from lack of food. Hell, he wanted to pass out from the boredom and monotony of paper filing and delivering. He wondered if Sephiroth, in some strange way, was helping him keep on his toes with the rude remarks shot at him. Cloud snorted. What a stupid idea. He was most likely some sort of entertainment for the man.

The break room was empty, having been packed an hour before. Cloud enjoyed his time off, but the silence was really getting to him after hearing nothing but the quietness of the office with the occasional scratch of Sephiroth's pen and shuffling of papers. Cloud stood up and threw his trash in the waste basket, stuffing the Tupperware into his lunch bag before moseying on back to the office.

He waited there for nearly fifteen minutes when Sephiroth returned. The rest of the workday passed in more mind-numbing silence and monotony, and Sephiroth didn't say anything at all. For once, Cloud actually wished to be on the receiving end of one of his comments.

Once Cloud left for home, finished the few chores he had to do, showered, and threw himself on his bed, he nearly fell asleep right then and there. He would never take the comfort of a bed for granted ever again. It was the only thing there to help him get through whatever came his way at work tomorrow.

* * *

Notes:

Started: 2013年5月7日（火）

Finished: 2013年5月9日（木）

I have not abandoned this fic, nor do I ever plan on doing so. Updates will be slower for this one, but it won't be to the point where it's only one new chapter a month or something like that. At least it's a longer chapter; it's been a while since I've had a chapter go past the 2,000 words mark.


	7. Chapter 7

The second day of work passed by much like the first. If the routine-like and unchanging parts of the day were bad yesterday, then today they were worse. Cloud thought that his brain was going to melt by the end of the week. The simple and nearly mindless tasks of filing and delivering paperwork all around the upper and lower floors of the building were exactly the same, and the bit of wonder that struck him every time he had to find a new room faded quickly.

"To the SOLDIER floor," Sephiroth said, dumping three folders stuffed with reports into Cloud's arms. "And wipe that look off your face. You've already got one strike against you, Strife."

Cloud turned to leave, already knowing what to do. Wait, one strike? Crap, he didn't slip and show any emotion, did he? He started to get a little nervous as he walked to the elevators, letting himself relax and freely express the _uh-oh_ feeling once he was in the confined space. He was going to have to be more careful; any mistakes, and he knew that Sephiroth would eagerly jump at the chance to throw him out. God damn, the man was pushing his buttons at more frequent intervals now, no doubt testing him, as Cloud thought the reason to be.

"Cloud! It's been a while!"

The folders nearly fell out of his hands and a few sheets of paper flew out and onto the floor when Cloud felt someone smack his upper back. He turned and glared at Zack, the apologetic look on his friend's face not helping to ease his mood.

"It took me hours to get this stuff organized!" Cloud groaned. He bent over awkwardly to hunt for the missing papers. Zack picked up the reports and slipped them into the folders, then took the folders from Cloud.

"Sorry. But how's it going?" Zack took the reports to the Briefing Room and crammed them into a file cabinet. "My eyes hurt just from looking at these. It doesn't help that there are even more."

"You can't be serious." Cloud didn't bother trying to hide his grimace when he discovered that Zack wasn't playing around.

"This stuff has always been a pain. Usually, though, it's not that bad. Right now everybody's being driven up the wall because it's recruitment season." Zack took out a small box overfilled with more papers, scraped off a small pile from the top, and handed the papers to Cloud. "I'll take the rest. Anyways, the new recruits applying for the SOLDIER program along with the performance evaluations done every month bring almost everybody to tears. Then there are also reports, but those don't come in bulk often, unless there's a war going on. Thankfully, that hasn't happened very recently, and I hope it stays that way." Zack paused to get the elevator doors to open before Cloud went ahead and pressed the up button for him. "Thanks. I'm going to try to get out of some of my assignments to help out. Sephiroth is a complete nightmare this time of year."

"How does he survive all of this?"

"I really don't know. I always make some time to help him, but he does most of the work. Second and Third Class SOLDIERs have to explain some of the things to expect in the program during orientation week and take a look at the new recruits to see if any don't qualify, and I'm always called out to participate." Cloud opened the door to Sephiroth's office for Zack.

"Only the second day and you're already looking for an excuse to slack off. That's two strikes against you now, Strife."

"He wasn't slacking," Zack denied for Cloud. "I was explaining to him about the terrible period of time known as recruitment season." Zack placed the box onto Sephiroth's desk, crushing some of the papers already on there. "You know the drill for this one. All of these have to get done by the end of the month."

The end of the month... That was about another three weeks from now! Cloud was starting to wonder if it was actually possible to clear out everything in the box _and_ what was still left over to catch up on. He estimated that it would take ten _years_. Well, not really that long, but, hell, unless Sephiroth just signed everything without really looking at it, it would take more than three weeks.

Sephiroth looked exasperated at what he now had to work on. He waved a hand in Cloud's direction, gesturing him to bring the papers in his arms. Sephiroth read the paper at the very top, taking his time. Zack took the paper under that one. At Cloud's questioning gaze, Zack said, "I have a little bit of time."

Sephiroth reached over with one hand and dumped more folders onto Cloud. "Archive Room." Cloud wordlessly completed the delivery, returning as fast as possible to offer help.

"There isn't much you can do," Zack said. "Um..." He looked at the stack of "normal" papers.

"He cannot sign those," Sephiroth said. To Cloud, he said, "Make yourself useful and bring me some coffee. Putting up with your standing around and... _this_ is enough for me to need a tankful."

Of course, there was more than one kind of coffee, but before Cloud could ask for the specifics, Sephiroth said, "Black. It should be on the third row." He handed Cloud 120 gil.

"Sorry, but can I have one, too?" Zack asked. "I could go for a milk coffee." Cloud nodded, took Zack's gil, and walked to the elevators for the umpteenth time, stepping out into the vast room speckled with round tables on the right and arranged with four counter-looking tables on the left. A large tree stood in the middle of the room. How had anybody been able to plant a tree on the sixty-first floor of a metal building which inhabited a metal plate let alone keep it alive? Maybe it was fake.

Along with sodas, various teas, coffees, energy drinks, yoghurt drinks, lemonade, milk, and even hot chocolate occupied the machine, every drink labeled with a letter/number combination and either "hot" or "cold". Cloud deposited 120 gil and pressed C4, taken aback when the canned black coffee was actually piping hot. Zack's coffee came out the same temperature. Wow. Would the cold drinks actually come out cold, too? Cloud would've tried it, but he had to get back to work. Maybe tomorrow, or any other chance he got.

Sephiroth nearly ripped Cloud's arm off when he saw him return with the coffee. Cloud couldn't keep himself from staring at Sephiroth's throat as the man took a swig. He was entranced by the bobbing of the Adam's apple and by the way the muscles moved.

The spell was broken when Sephiroth put the can down. Instead of reprimanding Cloud for staring, he went back to working on the box of papers, hopefully not having taken notice.

Cloud wanted to slap himself. What the hell was he doing, looking at Sephiroth that way? He was a man now, someone that had a _work_ relationship with Sephiroth – not a boy with his little fantasies and dirty nighttime imaginings.

"What about this one? He looks promising."

Sephiroth took a look at the page Zack mentioned. "Not with that low a mark in materia. He hasn't even reached the minimum level."

"Sorry, buddy, no promo for you." Zack placed the paper in one tray, then looked at the clock. "Three already?" He made a long whistle. "I have to go. I'll try to be here again tomorrow. See ya, Sephiroth. Bye, Cloud. Good luck."

Seeing Sephiroth slightly on edge with the added stress, Cloud thought, _We'll both need it._

The papers in the box diminished unbearably slowly, Sephiroth glancing at some papers for two seconds before placing them in the rejected tray and looking through others much more thoroughly. Other than delivering the papers when the trays started to get full, there wasn't much that Cloud was sent out to do. Most of the time, he was standing there, being ignored by Sephiroth. If he hadn't been sent out on delivery every once in a while, Cloud would've thought that his existence had been completely forgotten about.

The clock's arms slowly shifted to read 6:13, and Cloud decided to propose what had been on his mind for a few hours.

"Sir." Cloud almost jumped back when Sephiroth's head snapped up suddenly. "I-If you need me to, I can stay here longer."

"And why would I find any use from you after hours?" Sephiroth lowered his head, reading and examining again.

"Well, sir, I could help with the other paperwork, that way it won't grow and you'll have to work with less after the box is over and done with." Cloud held Sephiroth's stare, daring him to find a way to say no.

Sephiroth sighed. "It's your choice. But do realize that you won't receive any extra payment." He finished that last paper, placing it in the approved tray, which seemed to hold considerably less papers than the rejected one. "Deliver these."

Cloud did, and on the double, too. Sephiroth had only skimmed and signed two papers of the original pile of horror by the time Cloud was back. Cloud even filed the papers about as fast as Sephiroth could finish them, determined to work harder to prove that he was anything but useless.

By around 8 o'clock, Sephiroth stopped Cloud. "That's enough. Deliver these tomorrow morning, and the rest should be finished by then, too."

"I can deliver these now," Cloud insisted, "and I can still stay for the rest."

"You would be even more useless to me if you came in sleep deprived."

Was that a small bit of caring coming from his boss disguised as a stab to Cloud's capabilities? No, it couldn't be. As much as Cloud told himself that it wasn't, one part of him stubbornly insisted that it was.

"If you say so, sir. See you tomorrow." Cloud didn't catch the mumble from Sephiroth as he left for home.

* * *

Notes:

Started: 2013年5月17日（金）

Finished: 2013年5月19日（日）

The vending machines are based off of the Japanese drink machines. I looked up a picture, and what looks like coffee is priced at ￥120. It's only an assumption, but I think the gil currency is the same as the yen currency.

Next chapter: Cloud gets phone calls from terrorists.


	8. Chapter 8

Clearing the previous workload was a simple, speedy affair, and Cloud was glad that that was over and done with. The rest of the day went by uneventfully, and so had today. At least, Cloud thought that his fourth day at work would have been the same.

The Thursday morning started out exactly like all of his mornings in Midgar – preparing for work, making his way to the Shinra building, et cetera et cetera – though he had more energy today than he did yesterday. Instead of looking at the models and pictures of the Shinra airship, truck, rocket, and motorcycle and rereading the descriptions until it was time to take the elevator, he checked out the vending machines again.

Still slightly tired, he purchased a can of coffee and pulled the tab, the hissing pop sounding horribly loud in the nearly empty room. He flinched and turned away awkwardly, trying not to make eye contact with the woman that found him to be the cause of the sudden disturbance. Slowly but casually, he walked over to a table and sat, drinking half of his coffee while trying not to attract more attention to himself. While his stomach suddenly grew warm as the coffee settled, he caught a glimpse of the woman trying to suppress a giggle.

Cloud slipped his hand into his pocket to pull out his phone to check the time. He downed the rest of his coffee and dropped the can into the recycling bin, another feature new to him. His miniature journey to Sephiroth's office was short and quick; he was a few minutes early. Easing the door open, Cloud stepped into the room, not expecting the surprise waiting for him inside.

Said surprise didn't look up from his work or even acknowledge Cloud's presence. Cloud noticed the piles in the trays were at a considerable height – how long had his boss been here?! – and, without being told, set off to deliver them.

Sephiroth didn't change his demeanor when Cloud returned. Not a single bit. The way he stared intensely down at his workload and shut everything out, Cloud could have easily mistaken his intentions as simple seriousness and sheer dedication to getting everything done. However, the vibes Cloud received said something different.

There weren't a whole lot of moments in Cloud's life where he was past nervousness and just plain old scared. But never had he seen or felt anything like this.

Standing still, Cloud fought the restlessness and frustration that didn't come from himself or the coffee. Sephiroth's gaze on the page in front of him was intense, and, as the minutes trickled by, gradually grew more so. Tension filled the air, and Cloud slowly grew wary, watching Sephiroth's every move, though the man did little more than shift papers around and make quick scribbles.

The stress bleeding out from his superior permeated into Cloud, and Cloud started to feel dark and negative, like everything minor had gone wrong for him and was steadily getting worse. Ironically, just as Sephiroth gave off more and more of those kinds of feelings, problems also arose for Cloud. The caffeine's effects had long finished kicking in.

Cloud needed to poop. Badly.

The trays on Sephiroth's desk nearly caught on fire. Cloud wouldn't – _couldn't_ – tear his eyes away from them. The rejected tray held a pile of papers an inch tall, Cloud guesstimated. As usual, Sephiroth made very slow progress, and, as Cloud recently learned, would not allow his assistant to deliver the papers until the pile was much taller. Better in bulk, Sephiroth apparently thought.

Under normal circumstances, Cloud would not have minded, but shit was really starting to happen. He quickly put a hand to his mouth to keep from sputtering. Shit – what a fitting word.

"I do not find your antics as amusing as you do, Strife," Sephiroth said in a low voice, almost mumbling. Again, he didn't look at Cloud, and continued shuffling, writing, and placing in silence.

Figuring that replying would do more harm than good, Cloud resolved to shut up and gain control of his damn self already. He swayed from side to side to alleviate his discomfort and impatiently repeated _Hurry hurry hurry_ over and over to himself. The technique managed to help him hold his load for a little while longer.

It was then that Cloud's wariness escalated into slight fear.

Sephiroth's eyebrow twitched in irritation, and Cloud froze. His boss, however, slowly – almost menacingly – put down the pen, looked up at Cloud, and crossed his arms.

The green-blue eyes staring back at him were cold and void of any mercy. Cloud had never seen that look on anybody, and it seemed very possible that his heart had had the chance of stopping right then and there.

He wasn't afraid of Sephiroth, no. It was what the man could _do_ that made Cloud want to get into a fighting stance of some sort, even if he had little experience with battle other than a few fist fights he'd gotten into when he was younger. Sephiroth's expression made it clear that giving a reprimandation was low on the list of things he was likely to do at the moment. And frankly, Cloud was very content with staying alive.

"Third strike," Sephiroth said calmly. "Making faces, slacking off, and..._this_ is not what you are here for, Strife."

"Two strikes," Cloud blurted without thinking. "Zack already explained it." The second one did not count.

"No excuses." It seemed that Sephiroth was using a great deal of restraint to keep calm. "Report to the third room to the right on this floor. Stay there for the rest of your shift."

The second strike didn't count. It didn't count, dammit!

It wasn't the first time, and it may or may not have been the last, but Cloud decided to do something very, very stupid.

"No."

"I am not arguing with you, Strife. Out," Sephiroth commanded sternly, pointing at the door.

"I'm not going anywhere, sir." Cloud was putting his foot down. He'd grudgingly accept the third strike, but definitely not the second.

"My patience is running _very_ thin," Sephiroth said, inserting some venom in his words.

Cloud stared back at Sephiroth, nearly challenging him. He stepped back towards the door, defeated (for now), never looking away from those eyes.

Once outside, full realization of his actions hit him hard. What the _fuck_ was he doing?! He shook his head, feeling very grateful and lucky that nothing much worse happened.

He walked towards the bathrooms first. Sephiroth wouldn't notice and probably wouldn't care too much if Cloud spent at least two minutes of work time relieving himself. At least that was one problem solved.

* * *

Sephiroth had a raging headache. He despised being stuck behind a desk doing such a mundane task, and having to read through an insane amount of papers _thoroughly_ evoked the desire to destroy, maybe even kill.

And then there was Strife. Feeling the assistant's eyes on him heightened his stress, though it wasn't simply because Strife was looking at him; nobody kept their eyes off of Sephiroth for a single second when he was out in public. Sephiroth felt...vulnerable. Very much so. Showing signs of his sentiments, especially ones of rage and stress, meant showing weakness. That was the last thing he ever wanted to reveal to Strife.

So Strife had to go. First chance at seeing Strife do anything other than what he was supposed to do; if the young man even so much as _breathed_ wrong, Sephiroth would pounce and send him out. Strife couldn't see him like this. Sephiroth refused to let himself be seen like this.

The blond had a trick up his sleeve, though. He dared to stand up against him, to challenge his authority. Nobody had ever done that to him. Not even Zack, who had only gone as far as expressing his annoyance towards Sephiroth's antisocial and condescending behavior. The action nearly drove the near desperate silver-haired man to doing...something, but he also found it very...

...Endearing.

He couldn't deny that Strife was working harder than most do in Midgar, nor could he deny how well or how much better work was getting done.

But it didn't mean that he had to be nice to Strife about it.

* * *

"Sephiroth sent me here," Cloud said to a brown-haired woman standing behind a half-circle desk with nothing sitting on it but a single phone.

"Did he give any reason why?" The woman appeared puzzled. Cloud guessed that she didn't get help often, if any at all.

"No," Cloud admitted.

"It's no problem," the woman said with a reassuring smile. "There's nothing to –"

The phone suddenly went off, and the woman picked up the receiver before the noise could spread.

"Shinra Building, SOLDIER Administrative Department. This is Priscilla speaking, how may I help you?"

Half a second later, Priscilla nearly slammed the receiver down without saying anything.

"As I was saying," Priscilla continued with her explanation, "there's nothing to this. Phone rings, you answer it. Simple."

"And that's it?"

Priscilla nodded. "That's it. When you answer, say what I said, except with your name instead of mine, of course. If it's important, hand the phone to me, okay?"

"Alright." He could handle this. No doubt about it. "How will I know if it's important, though?"

"Believe me, you'll know," Priscilla said with a slow nod.

Not long afterwards, the phone rang again. Cloud picked it up and attempted to emulate Priscilla.

"Sh-Shinra Building, SOLDIER Ad- er, Ah, A-Administrative Department. Cloud Strife speaking, how may I help you?" If he could beat himself up right then and there, he would have done it. Stupid tripping and stuttering!

"Is Sephiroth in right now? I wanna get his autograph," a voice, sounding a lot like a young boy, said on the other end.

Priscilla, having been listening in on the conversation, yanked the phone receiver from Cloud's hand and slammed it down.

"Sorry," she said with a slightly embarrassed grin,"I just can't get enough of hearing those requests. That's the hundredth autograph one since I-don't-know-when!" Getting serious now, she said, "I'll take the next one to remind you of the greeting. I'm thinking the shyness will go away on its own."

The phone took longer to ring the next time, and Priscilla wasted no time in hanging up after answering. Cloud took the next call and recited his script much better – he only stumbled over "administrative".

"C-Can I speak to Sephiroth? I-I want to show him, um, this, hehe, uh, umm, story! Story, yeah, that I wrote about him and –"

Not allowing the girl – probably twelve years old, more or less, he estimated by the sound of her voice – to say any more, Cloud hung up. He and Priscilla took turns, and each call was, for the most part, exactly the same as the ones before it. Cloud wondered why they didn't just disconnect the phone when Priscilla explained that this line was originally in Sephiroth's office and used by only him and the company, but the number was somehow leaked to the public and fangirls and fanboys galore now blow it up at certain times of the day. Priscilla said she would do almost anything for the number to be changed, but that was not up to her.

At first, the calls were somewhat entertaining, but then they all melted into the exact same thing being repeated over and over. Until a wild Silver Elite member appeared.

"Sephiroooooootttttthhhh! AAAAHHHH!"

Cloud wrenched his ear away from the phone before he started bleeding.

"My god am I utterly and hopelessly in love! Marry me! Please! MARRY ME AND I'LL HAVE YOUR CHILDREN! THAT ONE LOCK OF HAIR ISN'T ENOUGH FOR ME! I NEED MORE OF YOU!"

Hearing something that sounded an awful lot like a really heavy sniff, Cloud's jaw dropped open in shock. He joined Priscilla in praying for a number change.

* * *

Notes:

Started: 2013年7月18日（木）

Finished: 2013年7月19日（金）

This wasn't what I originally intended to update first, but I'm getting really frustrated over another story. That, and there was a HUGE demand for a new chapter to this one. Pffft, I'm kidding. Only one person really asked. XD Still, I've never had anybody PM me just to ask for an update before. O_o

Nobody caught the little Easter egg in Chapter 7? Aww, it was a real bomb!

serellpaz's review of Chapter 7 sums up what it's like to work for Shinra. XD

Don't tell me I'm the only one that gets the poop effect from coffee. That's the only way I know it works! Except when it starts burning my stomach...

If anybody makes a Pokemon battle between Cloud and the Silver Elite member, I will LOVE you. Speaking of Silver Elite...

Fun fact: In the Japanese version of Crisis Core, Sephiroth is known as セフィロス様 (Sefirosu-sama) by his fans, and the fan club is simply known as プレミアムファンクラブ (Premium Fan Club). It's in this video: www dot youtube dot com / watch ?v=0KqGB3KoYKM


	9. Chapter 9

By lunch break, Sephiroth had nearly passed his limit. The stress of having to complete a large amount of work in a short amount of time had nothing to do with it. No, he could handle that without breaking. What he couldn't handle was staying still behind a desk for so long when he was trained to constantly be on the move, dodge any hits coming towards him, attack first if possible – anything but stay perfectly still to do nothing but sign a paper over and over and over and over and over and over...

...and over and over and over and over _again_. He'd had enough of it.

Letting his pen drop to the desk, Sephiroth slid out of his chair and rode the elevator down to Floor 49, deciding to skip lunch today. Entering the training room and selecting one of the standard training swords, Sephiroth activated the virtual simulator and calmly stepped into his battle stance, changing it slightly due to not using Masamune or a katana in general.

A digital First Class SOLDIER formed in front of him, pulling out his sword and preparing to begin the fight. Quickly, the imitation was slain and the electronic body fell to the ground.

Without fanfare, Sephiroth programmed five more First Classes to take the 'dead' one's place. Despite how anticlimactic they were, Sephiroth could feel the battles lifting some of his stress away.

* * *

"...and then the crazy woman asked to have twelve of his children! It was the fifth one, but seriously, that one's so weird it gets me every time."

Cloud listened to Priscilla's tales of the big, bad Silver Elite and their outrageous requests and nutty sayings as he ate his spaghetti, shaking his head at how far obsessive women could and would go.

"Don't they have anything better to do?"

Priscilla shrugged. "Well, if they had as much enthusiasm doing something other than try to harass Mr. Sephiroth, I'm pretty sure we'd have a higher percentage of things like... I don't know, but you know what I mean, right?"

Cloud nodded, even though he didn't entirely understand what she meant. He rotated his fork, making some noodles coil over the utensil, and brought it to his mouth.

Just then, Zack popped in, eager as ever.

"What are you doing here?" He stopped in his tracks, aiming his question at Cloud.

Cloud swallowed. "Sephiroth sent me here," he said nonchalantly.

"Why?" Zack tilted his head.

"I don't know," Cloud said, choosing not to say that the reason was because Sephiroth was simply doing his best to subtly antagonize Cloud.

"Hm," Zack said. Cloud could practically hear the gears turning in Zack's head before his friend brightened up, seemingly coming to a conclusion. "Hey, Pris."

"Yes, Mister Zack?" Priscilla stood at attention with a no-nonsense look on her face. Cloud almost rolled his eyes. Professionalism reserved only for when a higher-up arrived. Pfft.

"Zack's just fine, you know. I came to tell you that Prez isn't going to change the number."

Priscilla only sighed in defeat.

"How bad is it?"

"Twenty in less than three hours."

Zack winced. "Ouch." He then looked at Cloud. "Sorry, but can I take Cloud for a bit? Not sure if he'll come back, though."

Priscilla nodded.

Zack grabbed Cloud by the arm and pulled him out of the room, heading straight for the elevator.

"Couldn't you have waited until I put my stuff away at least?" Cloud said with mock exasperation. He closed the lid on his Tupperware and shoved it into his back, grateful that he hadn't spilled any of his food.

Zack pressed a button and they were moving. "I wonder if he's broken it yet."

Cloud didn't have to guess who Zack was talking about. "Broken what?"

"The virtual reality training room. Sephiroth goes there when he needs to vent." Zack stepped out once the elevator doors parted. Cloud followed suit. "If he says anything to you or sends you away, don't take it too seriously. He's just going a little nuts from all those papers."

"You're saying that as if it's not a big deal." Cloud peered through the glass, watching Sephiroth in action.

Envy filled Cloud. If only he could parry the blows from three SOLDIERs with only one hand while knocking one enemy down and turning around to permanently stop it from attacking him again. Sephiroth cut down another SOLDIER before facing three that were left, one on his right and the other two in front of him. Cloud couldn't even see what had happened when all three suddenly fell to the ground.

Sephiroth exited the enclosed space and passed by Cloud and Zack without a word, placing his sword onto a rack. Slightly confused, Cloud wondered what happened to Masamune. From what he had seen of Sephiroth before, the man had never gone anywhere without it.

"Feeling better?" Zack asked sincerely.

"I'm fine," Sephiroth said without looking at either of them. He passed by them, saying nothing when Cloud and Zack stepped into the elevator with him.

"Are you sure?" Cloud asked warily. "Do you need me to bring you anything?" He stared Sephiroth down as the man looked at him incredulously.

"That will not be necessary."

"Aw, come on, Seph—" Zack shut his mouth and quickly corrected himself, "Sephiroth. Cloud's been doing a good job helping with the phones. He can get you anything you need in no time."

"I do not need anything," Sephiroth said with a clipped tone.

Cloud trailed further behind the two to give them space, especially Sephiroth. He could still feel the tense vibes emanating from him, though they were not as strong as before.

Without needing to be told, Cloud delivered the papers on Sephiroth's desk, returning to find Zack helping his boss with the paperwork. Cloud stood there, wondering whether he should go back to helping Priscilla or not.

With a resigned look, Sephiroth said, "You may stay, Strife."

Relieved, Cloud continued to do as he normally did, occasionally being sent out to fetch something for Sephiroth after Zack had to leave. He couldn't help but feel glad that he was on good terms with his boss again, even though it was Sephiroth who had started it in the first place.

Once his shift was over, Cloud exited the elevators for the last time that day, crossing the lobby to get to the front doors before running into Zack again.

"Heya," the black-haired man said, putting a friendly hand on Cloud's shoulder.

"Hey," Cloud returned.

In a low voice, Zack said, "Saturday night, I'm going out for dinner. Wanna come?"

Cloud shook his head. He didn't have enough money for that. However, instead of informing Zack, he simply said, "I can't go."

"Oh, come on! It's on me," Zack insisted.

"I really shouldn't." Cloud didn't want to feel like a freeloader.

"You really deserve it. Sephiroth isn't easy to work with, and you've been doing a great job. Just this once? Please?"

"...Fine," Cloud gave in, honored that Zack thought so highly of him.

"How does six sound?"

* * *

Notes:

Started: 2013年9月14日（土）

Finished: 2013年9月15日（日）

Figured I should bust out another chapter to let everyone reading this know that this story will be on hiatus since not many people check profile pages. It won't be discontinued, but I just don't really feel like working on it much because of the lack of plot. And I'm still scratching my head over how this story has more follows than my other one which has three times the amount of chapters up at the moment. It's kind of frustrating, you know.

Priscilla isn't an OC. She just magically traveled from Junon to Midgar. And she just magically grew from a little girl to an adult woman. Oh, fine, she's an OC. Anybody who's played FF7 has probably forgotten about her, anyways. But she won't be around much.

Next chapter: Dinner time.


End file.
